How to Apply

Applications for the Summer 2018 Environmental Observation and Informatics Professional Masters program are now open. For questions regarding applications, please contact us.

The priority deadline for submitting an application to the program and for tuition assistance is December 1; however, we will be accepting applications for the 2018 cohort though March 1.

Prospective students who will apply after the December 1 priority deadline should notify the EOI program coordinator. International applicants should contact the EOI program coordinator as soon as possible to ensure all paperwork and documents are included in the application.

Applications are submitted online through the UW-Madison Graduate School. Applicants will create a username and password to access the UW application system. For current or former UW students, this will be a new account that does not use your NetID. When applying for our M.S. program, select the summer term for the calendar year you are applying for (summer 2018), then choose Environmental Observation and Informatics in the drop-down tab. Prospective students who apply by December 1 will be informed of their admissions status by late January 2018.

Individuals with diverse professional and academic backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Preferred applicants are individuals with two to five years of professional work and/or field experience in GIS, geospatial technologies, and remote sensing. Because introductory GIS is not taught in this program, applicants should show some experience in using GIS, demonstrated through course work, professional experience, a portfolio (in the supplemental application), or a GIS certificate/degree. If an applicant does not have this experience, they should state this in their letter of interest and explain how, if accepted, introductory skills will be developed before the start of the program.

Applicants must have received a bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year institution with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants with GPAs below 3.0 may be considered for admissions under special circumstances.

Complete applications will include all items below. GRE scores are required for the Environmental Observation and Informatics M.S. program. Admissions decisions will be based on the entirety of each applicant's credentials.

Professional credentials/resume

Reasons for graduate study/statement of interest in this program or field

Two letters of professional recommendation. One letter from a current or former employer and one letter from a former university advisor are preferred. Although the online UW-Madison application gives you the option of adding three references, only two references are required for this program.

One copy of undergraduate transcripts submitted electronically in the application.

Supplemental application (found in UW-Madison online application).

Applicants will submit a portfolio that showcases their quantitative and GIS experience. The portfolio should consist of documents that will help assess each applicant’s proficiency and readiness for the program. Examples of these documents can include; maps developed in a GIS software or through remote sensing image analysis, copies of certificates, awards, and completed trainings, figures from analysis and reports, or selected slides from professional presentations.

GRE scores

For foreign students, TOEFL or IELTS scores are also needed. The minimum TOEFL score required is 92 for the internet-based test (iBT) and 580 for the paper-based test (PBT). The minimum IELTS score required is 7.0. Applicants with language scores below these requirements may be considered for program admission under special circumstances. The UW-Madison Graduate School also requires proof of sufficient tuition funds for foreign applicants accepted into the program.